Friday, May 31, 2013

The past few months getting to know Sabina have been great, but now its time to get to know the lady behind her - author Jaye Wells.

The hosts of this read along - myself, Jennifer from The Book Nympho, and Jenese from Readers Confession - have split Jaye's interview into three parts. Below you will find my three questions and Jaye's responses. Then head on over to the other two blogs to see their three questions and responses. And while you're at The Book Nympho, check out the discussion for Blue-Blooded Vamp, the final book in the Sabina Kane series!

Goldilox: Did you know when you started the series how things were going to play out with Lavinia and the shift of focus onto Cain?

Jaye: I didn't, actually. Cain really started pushing himself into the mix in book three, Green-Eyed Demon. By that point, I went with it because it made sense to me because Lilith and Cain's relationship drove the world building and was still causing ripples in Sabina's world.

Goldilox: How did you choose the various locations that the series would be set in (L.A., New York, New Orleans, Italy...)?

Jaye: I have a complex relationship with Los Angeles, which influenced why I chose it as a setting for the vampires. Since one coast was dominated by them, I figured the other coast would be dominated by the mages, thus New York became the home of the mages. New Orleans was chosen for two reasons: 1) It was somewhat neutral ground and 2) It's one of my favorite cities to visit and I wanted an excuse to go. :)

Italy was a more complicated decision. First, I wanted the final book to have a grand setting. I'd been to Italy while I was writing The Mage in Black, and had a lot of first-hand experience with some of the setting I chose. I also wanted to take the gang back to the Old Country to see a little bit about how the Dark Races got along there. Plus, Italy just has so many awesome spots --catacombs, bone chapels, Oracle grottos, etc.

Goldilox: Is there a little bit of you in Sabina? Or is she totally different than you?

Jaye: All of my characters are me to some extent. However, I tell people I am most like Giguhl in public, but in my private life I'm more like Sabina. Take that however you'd like.

Jaye Wells is a USA Today-bestselling author of urban fantasy and speculative crime fiction. Raised by booksellers, she loved reading books from a very young age. That gateway drug eventually led to a full-blown writing addiction. When she’s not chasing the word dragon, she loves to travel, drink good bourbon and do things that scare her so she can put them in her books. Jaye lives in Texas with her husband and son. For more about her books, go to www.jayewells.com.

Sabina Kane is on the hunt. Her prey: Cain, the father of the vampire race and the one who murdered her family and her friends. Unfortunately, Cain is hunting Sabina, too. The one man who holds the key to defeating Cain is, of course, Abel. A mage with secrets to spare and, hopefully, the power to match it. Unfortunately, for Sabina, he's in Rome and may not want to be found.

Sabina sets out for Italy with her friends, Giguhl and Adam Lazarus, to track down the only man who can get her the revenge she hungers for. But will he help her or oppose her? And just who is Abel, really? Worst of all, when Sabina figures out the goddess Lilith has a plan for her - she realizes this trip is getting deadlier by the minute.

As they say: when in Rome - SURVIVE.

Review:The final book in the Sabina Kane series. The conclusion of this fun read-a-long of the series. I can't believe how far Sabina has come and how much has gone down in this series but one thing is for sure - I'm so very glad I got to read it all!

Blue-Blooded Vamp is the conclusion to the five book Sabina Kane series. While my favorite is still the previous book, Silver Tongued Devil (due to its emotional roller coaster and all the shocking events at the end), I still loved Blue-Blooded Vamp and am left satisfied with the ending Wells gave us.

In this one, Team Awesome sets out to a new location: Rome. I loved the new backdrop of Italy and thought it was a great place to end the series. We also get to see another location I've been wondering about for a while: Irkalla.

Almost everyone who was even remotely important in any book in the series makes at least a slight appearance in this one, as is often the way of final books in a series. Most of the appearances fit with the story and didn't really feel forced so that was nice. Giguhl, who is still my favorite sidekick maybe ever, and Adam, who I don't find meltingly hot but like as Sabina's 'other half', are both prominent characters in this story just like all the others. Some characters from the past also appear unexpectedly so that was a welcomed surprise as well.

I wasn't at all surprised by all the information we learn about Abel and from Abel and if you've been making predictions about who Abel is and what's going on with him then you are probably right. When Abel and his team join up with Sabina and her team we get some new characters and after having them for a bit, I must admit, it kind of felt like they'd been in the series all along.

Are you annoyed with all the generic words and phrases of this review yet? Man, its hard to review the final book in a series! I can tell you NOTHING!

All you need to know is that this is a terrific, if slightly drawn out, ending to a fantastic urban fantasy series. When I started this read along I was excited to get into another UF series, but when I began the first book I wasn't sure if Sabina was for me. By the end of Red-Headed Stepchild, however, I was hooked. Sabina's unwavering sarcastic bitchiness, her dark sense of humor, and that independent "You can't tell me what to do" attitude grew on me so much and I finished this series loving Sabina and placing her in my top UF heroines. Wells managed to let her grow throughout the story, but still stay loyal to who the character is and I just love that!

If you haven't tried out this series yet and love urban fantasy then this is a must read! For lovers of this series this is an ending that will make you happy.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

I am championing Curran from the Kate Daniels series for the 2013 Alpha Showdown over at Vampire Book Club. His first battle is up starting today so go vote for Curran to stomp down his opponent and go on to the next battle!

Monday, May 20, 2013

This is a feature for me to push my favorite reads that just aren't getting enough attention!

I'm also opening it up to anyone who would like to guest post. Do you have a book that you just LURVED but feel like its not getting the play it deserves? Email me to let me know and I'd be THRILLED to have you post about it here! Especially if its something I haven't reviewed yet - that's even better (but not necessary)! If you're interested email me:

Great UF series for those that love a hard as nail heroine that has a soft side they protect from others. Well written and outstanding characters and world development. Jane Yellowrock series has it all; vamps, weres, fae and witches. Lots of bloody action and a touch of romance.

Why I love Jane:

She's a kick ass rouge vampire hunter. She's a skinwalker which means she more than just a were. She can change into almost any animal but her beast prefers the form of a mountain lion. I find the inner monologue between Jane and beast every interesting and well written. So instead of one heroine you get two.

Audio:

If you are into audios you MUST experience Jane on audio. Khristine Hvam IS JANE YELLOWROCK! She just knocks the narration out of the park from the timing to the characters' accents. I won books 4 and 5 in paperback but I love the narration so much that I bought them in audio. (FYI I'll be giving away the paperbacks soon at The Book Nympho so stay tuned for that.)

My birthday is May 18th but YOU guys are getting the presents! Stop by every day this week for author interviews, guest posts, and giveaways galore!

Here's the schedule for the week:

Sun. 5/12: Rachel Vincent and Jennifer Armentrout

Jennifer Interviews Rachel + Giveaway!

Mon. 5/13: Delilah Dawson

5 Crazy Characters That Haven't Been Written Yet + Giveaway!

Tues. 5/14: Bethany Griffin

5 YA Releases I'm Looking Forward To + Giveaway!

Wed. 5/15: Bec McMaster

Interview + Giveaway!

Thur. 5/16: Amanda Carlson

Top 10 Favorite UF/PNR Characters + Giveaway!

Fri. 5/17: J.A. Souders

Interview + Giveaway!

Sat. 5/18: Amanda Bonilla

Book Characters Hanging Out + Giveaway!

Today Amanda Bonilla gives us the low down on the men of her series!

Check out her post, then enter to win copies of all three Shaede Assassin books!

Book Characters Hangin’ Out

Thanks so much to Christen
for inviting me to be a guest today!

My teen is reading Kevin Hearne’s
Iron Druid Chronicles in his Critical Reading class. I’m not gonna lie, I’m
proud of myself for getting him to try the series, and so far he’s really
wrapped up in the story lines. Anyone who can inspire my kid to read a book
from cover to cover deserves my undying praise and that’s why Kevin Hearne will
forever be my hero. But I digress… We were talking about the series and the
teen wanted to discuss the reasons behind Atticus’s decision to go after Thor
even though he’d been warned time and again not to. If he knows it’s going to
end up badly, why bother? I told him that Atticus was bound by his honor. That
he’d given his word to Leif and if he went back on his word, he’d have no
honor. My teen and I were talking books! Woohoo! But it also got me thinking
about the guysin The Shaede Assassin series. Could they all get along and set
off on a mission, bound by their word and honor. And for that matter, would
they get along with Atticus, or would the mission be doomed from the start? Raif

A
reader's choice for Raif. Not. Too. Shabby. ;)

Raif and Atticus would get
along, I think. Both are very practical, no nonsense sort of guys. They’re men
of action who don’t waste time on words. And they’re both warriors who fought
bloody battles in a time where you had to look your enemy in the eye before
running a sword through this chest. Like Atticus, Raif is bound by his honor.
Once he’s given his word, it’s unbreakable. No one would ever think to question
Raif’s honor. He’s admired by his peers, respected and feared by his foes. Once
Raif sets his sights on you, you better kiss your butt good-bye.

Tyler

Taylor
Kitsch has always been my idea of Tyler.

Whereas I could totally see
Raif and Atticus having a mutual respect for one another, I tend to think that
Atticus might not have much patience for my wish-granting Jinn. Whereas honor
means a lot to the Iron Druid, he’s not real big on following the rules. And if
there’s one thing Tyler’s a stickler about, it’s the rules. He’s bound by the rules
that define him and the wishes he grants, not to mention a certain sassy Shaede
assassin. No matter how much the rules bother him, Tyler won’t be swayed to
break them. In a world without order, chaos rules. And my uptight genie just
wouldn’t be able to deal with the chaos.

Xander

Charlie
Hunnam IS Xander Peck. LOL!

Whereas Raif is
pragmatic and self-possessed, Xander can is rash and passionate. The two
brothers couldn’t be more different. Like Tyler and Raif, Xander is also bound
to something that takes precedence in his life: his kingdom. He might be
arrogant, frivolous, spoiled, and demanding, but he would never do anything to
jeopardize his people or his kingdom. He takes his role as leader very seriously
and will do whatever it takes to protect his throne. And while he’d probably
approve of Atticus’s quest, I doubt Xander would be a willing participant. Not
if it risked his crown.

What series characters would
you like to see interact with one another? Maybe Cat and Bones solving a
mystery with Mercy Thompson? Or the Black Dagger Brotherhood paying a visit to
Bon Temps?

Amanda Bonilla lives in rural Idaho with her husband and two kids. She’s a part-time pet wrangler, a full-time sun worshipper, and only goes out into the cold when coerced. When she’s not writing she’s either reading or talking about her favorite books.

My birthday is May 18th but YOU guys are getting the presents! Stop by every day this week for author interviews, guest posts, and giveaways galore!

Here's the schedule for the week:

Sun. 5/12: Rachel Vincent and Jennifer Armentrout

Jennifer Interviews Rachel + Giveaway!

Mon. 5/13: Delilah Dawson

5 Crazy Characters That Haven't Been Written Yet + Giveaway!

Tues. 5/14: Bethany Griffin

5 YA Releases I'm Looking Forward To + Giveaway!

Wed. 5/15: Bec McMaster

Interview + Giveaway!

Thur. 5/16: Amanda Carlson

Top 10 Favorite UF/PNR Characters + Giveaway!

Fri. 5/17: J.A. Souders

Interview + Giveaway!

Sat. 5/18: Amanda Bonilla

Book Characters Hanging Out + Giveaway!

Today J.A. Souders has stopped by to answer some questions!

Check out her interview and then enter to win a signed copy of RENEGADE below!

1. What is the hardest thing about being a new author?

For me, the hardest thing has been marketing or just plain getting my name out there. My publisher has been awesome with their own marketing and publicity, but I still wanted to do my own marketing to help in anyway I could and it's WAY harder than I thought it'd be, just because I'm such an introvert. I was always the wall flower and now I'm supposed to be front and center. LOL.

2. Tell us about that moment when you found out you had a book deal!

It was a very yoy-yoying type of emotional day. I had been fighting all day with revisions for a different book and had decided to try a nap to get the brain restarted. When I woke up, I'd had an email from my agent telling me she'd tried calling me and would I please call her back. My heart sunk. I'm always a pessimist (a nasty habit I'm trying to break, but that's another story all together. :P) and I was certain she was calling to let me know that everyone had passed on RENEGADE and that she'd decided we were just not going to be able to sell it and maybe even fire me as her client since this was our third book. So after frantically searching for my lost phone, I called her, shaking. When she first told me I had an offer, I can't remember what she said after that. I had tears pouring from my eyes and I heard something about Tor and 3 book deal and a date, but my head was spinning and my daughter was trying to grab for the phone to "scold" Natalie for making me cry. Then Natalie asked if I would be interested in this offer. I said yes (of course!) and she said fantastic and that she'd talk with the other publishers who were still reading it. We hung up and I just stared at the phone in my hand, crying. It didn't take me long to realize I had no idea what Natalie had actually said and to email her back and get the details again. LOL.

3. What is your favorite classic book and your favorite new release?

I have two favorite classics and I can't choose just one so I'll just say them both. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and 1984 George Orwell. I'm sure that's no surprise to anyone who's read RENEGADE. ; ) My favorite new release at the moment isn't a young adult book...it's Twice Tempted by Jeanine Frost. I love her and her characters so much, but WITH ALL MY SOUL by Rachel Vincent is a close second. And I'm eagerly anticipating Elegy by Tara Hudson.

I'm a huge fan of video games, but I can't actually play them because I get motion sick when I play, so I "force" my husband and/or son to play them so I can watch them like a movie. I'm a huge comic/graphic novel/manga fan. And of course, I love science fiction. But I guess my guilty pleasures are documentaries. I love watching historical/science documentaries. I don't know why, but I get super-excited when I see new ones pop up on Netflix. :)

5. Tell us about a place you visited during your time in the Navy that really stuck with you.

The Kingdom of Bahrain. It's an archipelego of islands in the Persian Gulf in the Middle East. Before we could even get off the plane, Royal guards stepped onto the plane to explain the "rules" of what we could and couldn't do on the island. Even though we'd be "on base" for most of it, we still had to follow the rules, which were basically women had to be covered from chin to toe. We could wear pants and t-shirts, but they had to be long sleeved and no short dresses or skirts. Women had to be accompanied by a man at all times if we left the base. The funniest part of the whole thing was when I went "off base" to hit the gold markets and I kept getting propositioned by the men who lived in that area because of my strawberry blonde hair and the fact that I just happened to be there at the time that German Prostitutes were brought over and they kept mistaking me for one. LOL.

6. Who is your most-loved fictional crush and why do you love this character so?

Um...it's an adult fictional character, but I'd have to say it's a toss up between Bones and Vlad from the Jeanine Frost series'. And the reason? They're hot...what's more to say? :)

7. Florida is clearly an awesome place to live (DUH). What are your favorite things about living here?

I love the weather and the scenery. It's just absolutely beautiful. I love going to the beach and just staring into the ocean, because there's nothing more peaceful or more terrifying than the ocean.

8. Would you ever consider writing adult fiction? How would it compare to your YA series?

I already do! :) It's not published yet, but I'm definitely hoping to have an adult series out very soon. It's much darker and the character isn't as...innocent as Evelyn is. She's had to fight for everything she's ever had and she's pretty cocky, and not really mean, but hard, I guess. She trusts no one, except for maybe the one person she shouldn't. I love her. I love her character and I can't wait for people to meet her.

9. Favorite food to cook? Favorite food to order out?

I make awesome Belgian waffles from scratch. And I do mean from scratch. I use my grandparent's recipe and it's way yummy. I love Japanese food, so every chance I get, I try to convince the hubby to order Japanese.

10. What is your favorite thing about being an author?

Everything? Does that count as an answer? LOL. I love being able to make stuff up, write it down and let (err...make. :) ) people read them. The money that comes with it, is just icing on the cake. I love that I get to do the job I absolutely love and that job allows me to spend as much time as possible with my kids. But, I have to admit that my absolute favorite part is getting email/letters from fans who've told me how much they love my book and want to talk about it. Especially the ones that have told me they were reluctant readers before, but they ate the story up and have now really started wanting to read. It makes my entire day, week, month, year. Etc. LOL.

J.A. Souders was born in the heartland with an overactive imagination and an over abundance of curiosity that was always getting her into trouble.

Because she never grew up, she decided she’d put her imaginary friends to work and started writing. She now lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees with her husband and their two children and is an active member of the RWA, SFWA, YARWA and SCBWI.

She is represented by Natalie Lakosil of the Bradford Literary Agency and her debut novel, RENEGADE, will be released Fall 2012.

Amanda Carlson is the author of the upcoming Jessica McClain series. The first book, Full Blooded, will be released by Hachette Book Group, ORBIT US & UK SEPT 2012. She’s been writing for over ten years. Full Blooded is her first novel. She lives in Minneapolis, with her husband and three kids.